First order of business, is consideration of authorizing the subpoena to Mila Kofman the Executive Director of the D.C. Health Benefit Exchange Authority

Uh

Authorization to issue the subpoena requires the consent of a majority of the Committee members

Let me give a very brief background on this

Uh

I’ve been concerned, uh, having found out that our healthcare coverage and that of our staff is being procured through the D.C. Health Link Small Business Exchange

Uh

That Exchange is obviously for small businesses under, the Obamacare Act

Uh

And as, uh, Chair of the Small Business Committee this, this seemed like a conflict, to me

Now, that Act specifically defines a small employer, as a business with an average of not more than one-hundred (100) employees in the past year, and that, is outlined on this, chart right here

It also, gives States and the District of Columbia the option, of further shrinking that number to not more than fifty (50) employees, and that’s what Washington, D.C. has done

They have chosen properly under the Act, to define small employer as a business that employs an average of not more than fifty (50) employees

Now nevertheless, uh, the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate, are participating, in the D.C. Small Business Exchange, for healthcare coverage, although obviously both bodies employ far more than fifty (50) people

Uh

As we looked into this, uh, things became even more worrisome because, we got redacted versions of the applications to the Exchange from the House, and the Senate, and they clearly, contained, misrepresentations, uh, and those misrepresentations including, include, listing the U.S. House, and the U.S. Senate as State or local government, attesting that the number of employees of each body, was forty-five (45)

That’s, pretty interesting since, just among members we have over double that number in the Senate, and, in the form, in the part of the form where, the applicant has to list all the employees to be covered, there were two (2) employees listed which were fake names

And so that, again is very disturbing

Uh

We have tried to get the un-redacted copies of these applications from the D.C. Health Link Exchange

We’re

We’re just talking about nine (9) pages

We simply want the un-redacted versions

They’ve failed to comply, and so that’s what this subpoena is about

Simply requesting the un-redacted versions of those nine (9) pages

So if we issue the subpoena and get those no one will be compelled to testify

That’s the sole target of the subpoena

Those un-redacted nine (9) pages

So with that I move to vote on consent to authorize, the subpoena

‘Course it’s been properly noticed

The

The clerk will call the roll
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Sen. Vitter’s request to subpoena Affordable Care Act documents is rejected by Small Business Committee
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Updated on Apr 23 2015 at 11:26 AM CDT